Anti-Graft Activists Deems KPK Lack of Commitment to Find Harun Masiku

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has not been able to arrest Harun Masiku to date. Anti-corruption group Indonesia Memanggil 57+ activist Harun Al Rasyid assessed that the graft fugitive could be found as long as the KPK has a big commitment. 

“I see that in Harun Masiku's case, there is no strong desire from the KPK to find his current whereabouts,” said Harun on Friday, January 6, 2023.

He said the anti-graft body’s lack of seriousness about handling the case has been noticed since he served as the investigator and became part of the team that searched people on the wanted list (DPO).

“Around 2021, the DPO searching team and I made a presentation to the deputy for enforcement. At that time, I explained that HM was abroad,” Harun recalled when met by Tempo in the South Jakarta area.

Harun explained that a security escort from the armed apparatus was necessary because the PDIP politician was in a country with a high crime rate. The request was responded to by coordination between the KPK and the National Police. However, until he was dismissed from KPK, the meeting result had not been published.

“I wanted to prepare a team for the initial investigation. But it was not followed up by the leaders. In the end, I was dismissed due to TWK KPK (KPK’s problematic civic knowledge test), so no team departed [to arrest HM],” he said.

Coordinator of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) Agus Sunaryanto also viewed that there was no seriousness from KPK given its previous statements about the fugitive's whereabouts. 

“If you detect him, chase and catch him. If he’s arrested, then explain to the public as usual as the OTT operation,” Agus said on Sunday, January 8, 2023.

Feri Amsari, Director of the Center for Constitutional Studies at Andalas University, conveyed similar views that it was difficult to detect HM because of how important the politician was in the case. However, he said, this did not mean that the KPK was unable to locate him.

“This gives the impression that the KPK is selective in certain cases,” said Feri to Tempo.

Harun Masiku’s whereabouts remain unknown for about the past two years after being named a suspect along with former KPU commissioner Wahyu Setiawan over a bribery case to secure a hot seat at the House of Representatives (DPR).

The KPK previously stated that the graft fugitive was at the Police Science College (PTIK) but due to several reasons and obstacles, the investigation team was unable to launch an arrest.

Earlier, KPK Investigation Director Asep Guntur Rahayu said his side was still trying to find the PDIP politician. “[Based on] the information we’ve received, Harun Masiku is now abroad,” he told Tempo on Thursday, January 5, 2023, at the KPK's Red and White Building.

MIRZA BAGASKARA

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